dhaka, bangladesh (ap)

Bangladesh has set the goal of upsetting some of their more fancied opponents at next month's Cricket World Cup as they aim for the second round of limited-overs cricket's biggest competition, team captain Habibul Bashar said yesterday.

"Our target is the second round," Bashar told a news conference on the eve of his team's departure for the Caribbean. "Beating Sri Lanka and India will be a tough job, but not impossible."

Bashar heads a 15-member squad to the March 17-April 28 cricket World Cup in the West Indies, where it is grouped with former title-holders Sri Lanka and India, and Bermuda. The top two teams from each group qualify for the second round.

Coach Dav Whatmore echoed Bashar's sentiments, saying with team effort, his charges had a "realistic chance" of reaching the second round.

Bangladesh beat former World Cup holder Pakistan and Scotland in group matches in its first World Cup appearance in 1999, but the South Asian side failed to win a game at the 2003 event in South Africa.

"We went twice to the World Cup without any expectations," Bashar said. "Now, we have beaten big teams. We are a much better and mature side."

Under Australian-born Whatmore, who was appointed coach after the last World Cup, Bangladesh has beaten big names like India, Sri Lanka and even world champion Australia, as well as winning one-day series against Zimbabwe and Kenya in recent years.

The Bangladesh squad, comprising eight batsmen and three specialist spinners, has only four players with World Cup experience - batsmen Bashar and Mohammad Ashraful, and bowlers Mohammad Rafique and Mashrafee Bin Murtaza.

Long-time wicketkeeper Khaled Mashud, who featured in the two previous World Cups, was dropped because of poor form and replaced by Mushfiqur Rahim.